THE People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C) says it will not contest the long-overdue Local Government Elections (LGE) if Dr. Steve Surujbally is still Chairman of the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM).During the weekly press briefing held at the party’s Freedom House headquarters, PPP/C General Secretary Clement Rohee made it quite clear that the party will not be contesting the Local Government Elections if the Chairman of GECOM remains unchanged. “Not with Mr. Surujbally. We’ve already called for Mr. Surujbally’s resignation. We want Mr. Surjubally’s resignation almost immediately.”
After the May 11 General and Regional Elections where A Partnership for National Unity and Alliance For Change (APNU+AFC) coalition was victorious, the PPP/C has been complaining that Dr. Surujbally and GECOM had facilitated a flawed electoral process, which the party has deemed as ‘rigging’. However, the western missions and other elections observer groups have stood by GECOM’s vote count, declaring that the elections were free and fair.
Since the declaration of results the PPP/C has mounted several protests, calling for the Chairman’s resignation. The PPP/C had stated that it no longer has confidence in Dr. Surujbally, who has been Chairman of the elections body for approximately 10 years.
The PPP/C was unseated after 23 years in Government by the APNU+AFC coalition. Local Government Elections were last held in 1994 and during the PPP/C Administration the four key western missions in Guyana – US, European Union, United Kingdom and Canada – had often called for the holding of Local Government Elections, saying that there was no valid justification for further delay, which they said was responsible for a persistent drag on Guyana’s national development.

By Rebecca Ganesh